Kenaf commercialization Presentation By Dr. Hamdon Ali Research Associate Interim INTROP, UPM, Malaysia

1. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Dr. Hamdon A Abdelrhman
Email:hamdonun2012@gmail.com
Research Associate Interim INTROP, UPM
Section1: Kenaf Polymer Composite for Automotive components and Construction materials
Section2:
Section3: Kenaf cultivation and fibre utilization in automotive components
Background
Natural fibre and
Kenaf composite
Properties of the
products and KPC
value chain
Cost Benefit Analysis Production function Carbon Credit
1- Justify Kenaf production was decreased
2- the method used in the research for each objectives
3- Technical, environmental and financial problem which
lead to conduct cost benefit analysis

2. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus)
• Asia
• Africa
• America
• Europe
Diameter of elementary fibre:
13 – 20 [µm]:

3. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Fibre Kenaf Morphology & anatomy
3
 Seed
 Stem (morphology and anatomy)
 Leaf
 Root system
 Inflorescence, Flower
 Fruits

4. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Environmental conditions needed for fibre kenaf growing
• temperature,
•water (precipitation, soil, air humidity)
•soil
•forecrop - (position in the Rotation Cycle)
Fibre flax Linseed (oil flax)
Growing conditions of bast plants – input
requirements

5. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
5 BBCH 00 10 11 12 14 16 36 55 65 75 83 85
TRIPS
Kenaf seedling emerge
HARVESTING
WEEDS
DISEASES
DISEASES
Post emergent cultivation – plant protection

6. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Kenaf fibre products
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) has been recognized to be used for manufacturing of
pulp production; structural materials and lightweight vehicle parts for its high
yielding of fibre and impressive characteristic.
Kenaf fibre has a diverse applications such as fabrics and yarns, ropes, twines, nets
(Lips & van Dam, 2013).

7. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Plastic materials which
caused environmental
problems
Plastic polymer Characters and uses
Polyethylene (PE) Tensile strength and modulus have a
general correlation high density, high
MW = high strength, high modulus.
The usage
1. used in bearings, gears, artificial
joints, films
2. used in car covers
Polypropylene (PP) -Usage ranges from bumpers to
carpets
- used in interior, pillar and exterior
trim, door panels.
Polystyrene (PS) Liquid hydrocarbon that is
commercially manufactured from
petroleum.
- High impact and explosion
resistance.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVCs) used as vinyl siding, window profiles,
pipes
- Addition of plasticizers increases
flexibility for use in upholstery, tubing,
and flooring.
- linked to numerous health risks
including cancer and -reproductive
disorders due to dioxin release
-The utilizing of plastic material makes the
reprocessing reasonably problematic, and
unacceptable for the high costs, the practical
difficulties and the ecofriendly impact of final
product (Miao & Finn, 2008).
-The problematic of rising worldwide prices of
petroleum and oil have caused the attention in
renewable resources, also the pressure of the law
for greener technologies, as well as customers’
request for more environmental-friendly punter
goods is compelling products suppliers and
industrialists to consider the environmental
impact of their products at all stages of their life
cycle, including processing, recycling and even
their disposal (Bismarck. Etal,.2006)

8. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
General description of the material used in NFs polymer
composite for automotive components and building material
- Due to their best characteristic such as reduced weight and lower manufacturing costs
composite are the topic of wide range of researchers concern, precisely in the
construction and building industry. Currently, not only builders but also many
homeowners are interested in using composite for components such as decks, fencing,
and so on (FAO, 2012).
- (Thamae & Baillie, 2008) did an environmental research to compare Natural Fibre
Composite car door panels (manufactured from wood fiber and poly-propylene) with
conventional glass fiber reinforced panels; their results indicated that, the part which
made of a Natural Fibre Composite material reduced the environmental impacts of the
panels.

9. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Comparison of advantages between natural and glass fibers
(Sreenivasan, Sulaiman, Baharudin, Ariffin, & Abdan, 2013)
Properties Natural fibre E-glass
Density Low Twice that of NF
Renewability yes No
Recyclability yes NO
Energy consumption low high
Distribution Wide Wide
Co2 Neutral Yes No
Abrasion to machines No Yes
Installation health risk No Yes
Disposal Biodegradable Not biodegradable

10. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Cont.
The manufactured properties of the natural fibre composite light and heavier
weight depend on the fibre and the matrix used addition as well as the
treatments applied to the natural fibre, these treatment will improve the
natural fibre composite by enhance the adhesion between the natural fibre
and the matrix.
-There two groups of composites based on type of fibre added: short-fibre
and long fibre composite(Ticoalu, Aravinthan, & Cardona, 2010) and (Shah,
2013).
-The common usage of short fibre in saleable of composites is sawdust;
these are characteristically referred to as Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs).
The usage of long fibers of NFCs can outcome with brilliant mechanical
properties, mostly when fibers are coated at an angle or woven (Hull &
Clyne, 1996). These sorts of fibres more valued and expensive than other
fibre owing to their appropriateness for further uses (Baillie et al., 2011).

11. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Cont. NFC
• Natural fiber composites appeared to be as replacements to glass-reinforced
composites in several industrial usages.
1- for example hemp fiber-epoxy, flax fiber-polypropylene (PP), and china reed fiber-PP
are mostly used by the customers in automotive applications due to their lower price
and lower density.
2- Glass fibers used for composites have density of 2.6 g/cm3 and cost between $1.30
and $2.00/kg. In comparison, flax fibers have a density of 1.5 g/cm3 and cost between
$0.22 and $1.10/kg (Foulk, Akin, & Dodd, 2000)

12. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
(Joshi, Drzal, Mohanty, & Arora, 2004) concluded that, natural fiber composites
environmentally seen to be better than the glass fiber composites because of the
subsequent advantages:
(1) when produced natural fiber has lower impact in environment when compared to glass
fiber production;
(2) natural fiber composites contains higher fiber, these decreases more littering base
polymer contents;
(3) the light-weight of natural fiber composites mend fuel efficiency and lessen emissions in
the use phase of the component, particularly in automobile applications; and
(4) end of life burning of natural fibers results in a healthier energy and carbon esteems

13. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
The importance of Kenaf as bast fibre plant
Kenaf grows speedily, attainment to 4-5m in height and 25-35 mm in diameter in a 4-5
month growing season. Kenaf has high biomass output, a broad growth area, strong
adaptability to environment (Li and Mai, 2006).
Kenaf has a very high carbon dioxide amalgamation rate (1 ton Kenaf biomass absorbs 1.5
tons of atmospheric CO2), and is a good plant for alleviating the global warming (IJSG,
2012).
Kenaf entails fewer water to grow than other fibrous plants such as ( Jute, hemp, flax, ramie,
etc.), can adapt to a wider variety of soils and climates (Alexopoulou, Papatheohari,
Christou, & Monti, 2013).

14. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Chemical composition of Kenaf fibers
The chemical constituents: cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Also, there
are three principal component, kenaf consist about 2% of negligible
constituents: fats and waxes (0.4-0.8%), inorganic matter (0.6-1.2%),
nitrogenous matter (0.8-1.5%), and traces of pigments (Monti & Alexopoulou,
2013).

15. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
The properties of kenaf and other bast fibres
Mechanical properties of different bast fibrous crop (Monti & Alexopoulou,
2013)
Fibre crop Tensile strength (MPa) Young’s modulus (GPa) Elongation at break (%)
kenaf 580– 750 - 1.3–2.3
Jute 393–773 26.5 1.5–1.8
Ramie 400–938 61.4–128 3.6–3.8
Hemp 690 - 1.6–2.2

16. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Cont. properties
-The properties of individual fibres differ due to their shapes, sizes, and orientations,
and the thickness of the cell walls (Salman et al., 2015) .
-Some important physical elements must be known about each cultivation of variety
before it utilized into composite. The fibre length as well as diameter are very crucial
elements to determine the strength of natural fibre (Bavan & Kumar, 2010).
The fiber’s strength is an important factor when choosing a fibre that is specific for a
certain usage.

17. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Properties of kenaf yarns and plain weave kenaf fabrication (Salman et al.,
2015).
Properties Kenaf yarn
Yarn fineness (Tex) 942
Yarn type 1 ply spun
Twist direction Z-twist
Fibre diameter (mm) 1 ± 0.1
Yarn breaking load (N) 79
Average breaking strength (MPa) 100.64
Average maximum strain (%) 17.3
Characterization Woven
kenaf
Thickness (mm) 2 ± 0.2
Weight (g/m2) 890
Density (g/cm3) 1.2
Warp density (warp/inch) 12
Weft density (weft/inch) 12
Wavelength, ƛ (mm) 4.2
Interyarn fabric porosity (𝜀) 0.274
Moisture content (%) 8.353
Water uptake (%) 148.86

18. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
The usage of natural fibres for vehicle parts in
Germany (Monti & Alexopoulou, 2013)

19. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
In Brazil the average consumption of natural fibre
reinforcement in the automotive industry amounts to (Leao,
2010)
• Front door liners [1.2-1.8 kg]
• Rear door liners [0.8-1.5 kg]
• Boot liners [1.5-2.5 kg]
• Parcel shelves [2 kg]
• Seat backs [1.6-2.0 kg]
• Sunroof interior shields [0.4 kg]
• Headrests [2.5 kg]

20. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Non-deseeded raw straw Biomass for bio-fuel
Deseeded raw straw Seeds
Dew-retted straw Shives & dust
Technical fiber
Short fiber
scutched
tows
Short fiber
matted tows
Special carded yarn
Weaving Carded yarn
Bedlinen fabrics
Decorative
fabrics
Cottonized fiber
Special carded yarn
Weaving carded yarn
Ropes
Long scutched fiber Special carded yarn Cleaning material
Combing waste fiber
Carded yarn
Bedding material
Insulating matarial
Paper production
Felts
Threads
Technical and
decorative fabrics
Nets and others Ropes
Long combed
fiber
Special combed yarn
Spinning waste
material
Weaving carded yarn
Paper production
Bedding material
Nonwovens
Nets and other
Sowing seed
20

21. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Kenaf pultrusion

22. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Why selecting Natural fibres for Industrial Applications (FAO, 2012).
1- Low density: which may lead to a weight reduction of 10 to 30%;
2- Acceptable mechanical properties, good acoustic properties;
3- Favorable processing properties, for instance little wear on tools, etc.;
4- Options for new production technologies and materials;
5- Favorable accident performance, high stability, less splintering;
6- Favorable Eco balance for part production;
7- Favorable Eco balance during vehicle operation, due to weight savings;
8- Occupational health benefits (compared to glass fibres) during production;
9- No off-gassing of toxic compounds (in contrast to phenol resin-bonded
wood and recycled cotton fibre parts);
10- Reduced fogging behavior;
11- Price advantages regarding both fibres and applied technologies.

23. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Section2
1- Justify Kenaf production was decreased
2- Technical, environmental and financial problem which lead to conduct
cost benefit analysis.
3- the method used in the research for each objectives

24. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y

25. KENAF PRODUCTION IN MALAYSIA ECER(2010)
States/year 2008 2009 2010
Tonne Rm Tonne Rm Tonne Rm
Kelantan 58 114,000 1,970 985,000 5,000 2,500,000
Terengganu 30 9,000 941 470,500 5,100 2,550,000
Kedah 5 118,650 35 875 500 250,000
Perlis 1 2,500 19 475 500 250,000
Pahang - - - - 10,000 5,000,000
Total 94 244,150 1,456,850 1,456,850 21,150 10,555,00
0
2009a 2012 2015
Production target/Tonne 2,911 48,000 105,000
Productivity (per hectare/Tonne) 8,5 12 15
Planted area hectare 343 4,000 7,000

26. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Technical, environmental and financial problems
which lead to conduct cost benefit analysis.
The production and usage of kenaf have more beneficial than harmful effects on the
environment. Some of research results indicate that kenaf crop have benefit to
environment over other annual energy crop systems, specifically, regarding
pesticides and fertilizers inputs; Though, a negative impact of kenaf may rendered
due to acidifying emission resulted from using of pesticides and fertilizers during
kenaf cultivation (Fernando., etal2014).
Kenaf has high potential manufactured products, but there is a paucity of studies
evaluated both technical feasibility together with economic feasibility; Previous
studies focused more on the problem with the production yields and the potential of
Kenaf as a dry land crop, also there is lack of awareness and knowledge on the
crop agronomy (Matata, Ajay, Oduol, & Agumya, 2010).

27. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Cont. problem
-Most of the research attentive on the characterizations of Kenaf accessions
(Balogun, Raji, & Akande, 2008), the technical performance of the fibre
(Muir, 2002), and the feasibility for pulp and paper manufacturing (Szabó,
Soria, Forsström, Keränen, & Hytönen, 2009).
(KPMG, 2013)”, stated many issues and problems from kenaf upstream,
midstream and downstream faced kenaf industry in Malaysia, such as
farmers knowledge with kenaf cultivation, the seed varieties of V36 which
they cultivated has been weakened, slow developing of kenaf industry and
other financial problems, these issues will consider to be one of the most
motivated problems to study the cycle of kenaf industrialization in Malaysia.

28. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Cont.
kenaf is a quietly new crop in Malaysia, the local knowledge and
experience is an inadequate and there is encouragement to create
significant commercial processing and manufacturing capacities. There is
a demand for non-wood renewable fibre for use in the industrial,
construction, papers and automotive part industries as well as an
increasing the demands of Malaysia kenaf stem locally and
internationally from several companies such as Panasonic Electric work
kenaf Malaysia SDN BHD and KEFI Italy (Junejo, Abdu, Hamid, Ahmed,
& Akber, 2014).

29. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Methodology
Data collection
Primary
data
Focus group
discussion
Interview
Secondary data

30. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y

31. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y

32. C R O P S T O I N D U S T R Y
Thank you very much
Questions and Comments.